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3 SheetsSheet 2 (N0 Model.)

11. MG OLGAN. Q ROTARY Enema.

Patented July 8, 1884.

INVENTOR J/Mwm ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. D. MGGOLGAN.-

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented July 8, 1884. Y

L: V k

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED S'ra'rss PATENT FFICE ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter s Paten t No. 301,618, dated July 8, 188%.

Application ma September 21, 1883. (No model.)

' To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS llICCOLGAN, of

' Butte City, in the county of Silver-Bow and Territory of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1

My invention consists of a wheel that has a semicircular groove in the face, and running within a stationary ring, also having a semicircular groove, which, together with the groove of the wheel, forms the cylinder or steamway. Thewheel carries the pistons,which are fixed in the wheel, and the abutments are arranged in the stationary ring to slide forward and backward,'for allowing the pistons to pass, and for closing the cylinder behind them to hold the steam. Slide-valves are employed to shut off the steam while the abut 3 1 ing a semicircular head, fitting the groove 0, and shoulders q, fitting the face of the wheel,

ments are shifting, and said valves and the abutments are operated by cams on the shaft of the wheel, the whole being constructed and arrangedin a simple manner and adapted to provide an efficient rotary engine of large radiusfor developing great power with slow motion, all as hereinafter fully described.

I Reference is to be had to the accompanying l gine with the upper part of the stationary ring removed, showing the valve and abutment cases open. Fig. 2 is a section of one of the pistons radial to the wheel. Fig. 3 is a z 2:, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 ispartly a side elevation and partly a sectional-elevation of the engine. Fig. 5 is a detail of the packing employed between the wheel and the stationary ring. Fig.

6 is a section of the shaft and side view of the cam for working the abutments. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the engine,taken on line a; as of Fig. 1, in the plane of the wheel and the stationary ring. Fig. 8 is asection of forming half of the steam-cylinder, the other half of which is formed in the stationary ring cl, fitted to the face of the wheel and attached to the bench or base 0 for support. Theface of the wheel is provided with two or more pistons, f, rigidly attached to and located at equal distancesapart around the wheel, said pistons being formed on a block, 9, that fits steam-tightin a radial slot of the wheel, with a stem, h, projecting through the rini,and being secured by a key, i, inside of the rim. The blocks have a half-round head, j, fitting the groove of the case,and shoulders it, fitting the face of the ring or the packing, and this head is fitted with packing-rings Z, which surround a boss, m, of the head; or a removable filling piece or any approved arrangement of the packing may be employed.

The abutments 0 consist of a flat plate havand between the flanges t, by which the twosections of the ring dare connected to the base.

These abutment-s have each a laterally-extending arm, a, by whichthey are connected to a working-rod, c, extending out through astuff- -ing-box, w, and connected to a lever, 00, to be worked by a cam, g, on the shaft afor shifting them to close behind the pistons, and another cam, a,'on said shaft, and acting on said levers, shifts the abutments back to allow the pistons Eto pass. lpistons in the wheel, and therefore employ In this case I have represented three three throw-cams; but if less or more pistons transverse section of one of the pistons on line are employed the cams will be varied accordingly. The springs b are arranged with the levers x, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to throw the abutments forward immediately after the pistons'pass, and to press the abutments home in the groove c, and take up any slack that the cams and the levers may have by wear, or may beprovided to-allow the abutments to be closed in advance of the cams. The valve chests c are arranged in the flanges the same as the abutment-chambers are, with steamports d leading therefrom to the steam sides of the abutments, and they are provided with side valves, 6, that are worked by rods f, levers g, and cams h and i, in the same man nor as the abutments are, except that the springs b are not required "with the valves.

IOU

These cams are constructed like the others for shifting the valves as many times in the revolution of the wheel as there are pistons.

The cam g which holds the abutments in the cylinder, has concentric faces j for that purpose, which will be varied in number according to the number of pistons employed, and the cams h and Z will be suitably shaped for the admission, continuance,cut-off, and release of the steam, according to the manner in which it is preferred to work the steam. For packing the joints between the face of the wheel and the face of the ring d, I provide side rings, 70', to the main ring, that are connected at the ends to the flanges t, by which the half-sections of the ring (Z are attached to the base 6-, said rings having the inner edges, Z, fitted between flanges b and the sides of ring. d, and between these rings and ring d, I arrange thin sectional packing-rings m, that are pressed on the face of the wheel at their inner edges,with hemp or other suitable packing,u,

Fig. 4, between, by set-screws a in clamps 0, that are screwed onto the ring d'at intervals along it by screws 1), tapped into said ring.

Steam is supplied by the pipe q and exhausts at s".

This improved engine may be used with one piston and abutment, if preferred, when very high speed is required 5 but for slower speed and greater power I prefer to use two abutments and three pistons, which gives a very steady motion, as in this arrangement the engine takes steam on one side first before it exhausts on the other side. The pistons have a small hole, a, on the steam side, for admitting steam under thepacking-rings to expand them, and the heads of the abutments are to be pro vided with similar rings, which are to be expanded in the same way. The abutments 0 may have a projection, a", which runs in the steam-port d and closes it when the abutment slides back, forenabling the abutment to be shoved forward by the steam when the valve opens, in lieu of the springs b, if preferred.

The shouldersK of the pistons, that run on the be simultaneously removed, exposing the several abutments and valve-chests for inspection claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a rotary steam-engine, of the wheel at, having a semicircular groove, 0, in its face, the segmental stationary ring d, having a corresponding groove in its inner face, one or more pistons, f, attached to the wheel, one or more sliding abutments, 0,

working in bearings formed between flanges tin the stationary ring, and one or more valves, e, also working in bearings between the flanges tin said stationary ring for admitting the steam, said stationary ring being provided with exhaust-ports, substantially as, described.

2. The combination of the cams y and a on the shaft z, levers w, and the springs 72 with the abutments 0 and their connecting-rods 22, substantially as described.

3. The segmental ring d, constructed in two I parts, each having flanges t, and being attached 8 5 to the base e, and having the abutment and valve-chests arranged between said flanges, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the side rings, k

ackin -rin s m clam s o and ad'ustin 0 .p a a 2: 9

screws n with the ring d, having a groove forming part of the steamway, and with the wheel a; having the groove forming the rest of the steamway, and also having the flangesv b, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a rotary engine, of the grooved wheel a, grooved stationary ring d, fixed pistons f, sliding abutments 0, cams g a, and springs b, sliding valves e, cams. h

t", and the levers. ac and g, substantially as de rco scribed.

6. The pistons f, consisting of block 9, having a semicircular head, 1', fitted with packing-rings Z, and provided on its face with an aperture leading to the inner sides of the packing, whereby on the entrance of steam into said aperture said packing is expanded to snugly fit the semicircular groove in the stationary ring, substantially as set forth.

7. The pistons f, consisting of block g,ha.v- 11o ing a semicircular head fitted with packingrings Z, substantially as described.

' DENNISv 'McGOLGAN. Witnesses:

- WILLIAM W. Dixon,

WILL AM I. LIIPINOOTT. 

